Bridgewater State student says she was punched over pro-gay marriage piece

Monday

Feb 20, 2012 at 12:01 AMFeb 20, 2012 at 8:12 PM

Campus police at Bridgewater State College are looking for a man and a woman they believe attacked a student journalist for her pro-gay marriage editorial.

Justin Graeber

Police at Bridgewater State University are looking for a woman who allegedly punched a student journalist in the face for her pro-gay marriage editorial.

Meanwhile, the school is rallying behind the writer, Destinie Mogg-Barkalow, and is planning a rally on campus on Tuesday.

Mogg-Barkalow has been writing for the student newspaper, The Comment, since September. She penned a piece for this week’s edition titled “Prop 8 generates more hate,” in which she called out supporters of a ban on gay marriage in California as intolerant and bigoted. On Feb. 8, a federal appeals court declared the ban unconstitutional, saying it was a violation of the civil rights of gay and lesbian couples.

Mogg-Barkalow told police that she was walking in a campus parking lot shortly after 6 p.m. Thursday when she was approached by a tall man and a shorter woman with red hair who appeared to be fellow students.

The two asked Mogg-Barkalow, who was wearing a Comment sweatshirt at the time, if she wrote for the newspaper and if she wrote the pro-gay marriage editorial, campus police said. When she said yes, the woman punched her in the face, leaving a bruise, university spokesman Bryan Baldwin said.

Mogg-Barkalow told campus police she was stunned and walked back to The Comment office where other members of the staff called for help.

“She seemed in shock,” the editor of the student newspaper, Mary Polleys said Saturday. “She was telling us how it happened, and that’s when she started crying.”

The Comment has had strong reaction to stories on its Facebook page and in letters to the editor, but Polleys said she’s never before heard of a writer being attacked or even threatened physically.

She added that the Bridgewater State campus is “more conservative than people think,” but said she hasn’t heard of any other incidents of anti-gay violence or graffiti.

Baldwin said campus police were preparing a sketch of the couple. “Fortunately, the young lady did a very good job for the authorities in describing the two individuals,” he said.

Polleys said the paper as well as Mogg-Barkalow has been getting messages of support from the community.

“I know Destinie has gotten messages ... from people who are in support of her and outraged by this,” she said.

There is a rally planned for 11 a.m. Tuesday in the Moakley Center.

Mogg-Barkalow, who is a lesbian, wrote in the editorial: “I know how to run my life and I can love whomever I want.”

College President Dana Mohler-Faria condemned the attack.

“Though any form of physical altercation is entirely unacceptable, this incident is all the more reprehensible in that the student was allegedly attacked because she freely expressed herself on the opinion page of the student newspaper,” Mohler-Faria wrote in an e-mail to students and faculty on Friday. “Let there be no doubt whatsoever that this university has zero tolerance for any such actions that impede or curtail the right of the members of our campus community to express themselves freely.”

Mogg-Barkalow lives off campus with her parents, Jordan Barkalow, a political science professor at Bridgewater State, and Jennifer Anne Mogg, a guest visiting lecturer in the political science department.

In an online piece The Comment posted Saturday, the paper’s faculty advisor responded.

“I'm devastated. In 20 years as a journalist I've been sued and threatened, but no one has ever gone as far as physically attacking me like that,” Dave Copeland said. “It sickens me that something like this would happen on a college campus, where students are supposed to be able to express their opinions, values and ideas freely.”

Justin Graeber may be reached at jgraeber@enterprisenews.com or follow him on Twitter @justingraeber.